


Cigarettes and Golden Skin

by lovemeinink



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-25 05:06:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2609606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovemeinink/pseuds/lovemeinink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>trigger warning: noncon and graphic depictions of violence.</p></blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Shut the fuck up," Garrick growled, striking Louis across the face. Louis instinctively turned his head, tilted down a little. Garrick's ring had made a thin cut across his cheek; he could feel the small amount of blood trickling down his jaw.  
Louis complied to the harsh demand, not saying anything else as he squeezed his eyes shut to try and quell the tears that were burning his eyes and strangling his throat. He wanted to say venomous words, but he knew if he did then things would go a lot worse for him.  
"Now, get on your knees you worthless piece of shit." Garrick fisted his hand in Louis' soft hair, much too rough with its gentility. "You're lucky I love you, because we both know no one else ever would. You couldn't possibly hold enough worth to anyone else for them to bother with you."  
Not even his eyes pressed tightly shut could contain his anguish and unquestioning acceptance of the words being spat own on him.  
Garrick pushed Louis down onto his knees using the grip on his hair, and Louis' legs buckled beneath him as he succumbed, falling victim once again to his demands and minstrations.  
Louis didn't even flinch when Garrick pulled himself out of his pants and forced his way into Louis' mouth.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Louis only got to visit with his family very rarely, so when he did he tried to make it count. He was out with his eldest sister, Charlotte, at a hole in the wall pub drinking shitty whisky and waiting for Lottie's friend. They had ordered fries and onion rings, enough to share. He had told Lottie it was their kitten that scratched his face. She didn't seem compelled to question it.  
The waitress returned with the food, placing it in front of them, saying something about enjoying as she left.  
Louis looked at it without thinking of touching it. Garrick didn't like when he ate foods that would contribute to his "weight problem".  
He continued to stare at the table until Lottie looked up from her phone, talking to the girl who had approached that Louis didn't notice. She had long, dyed blonde hair, a purple tinge left in it from having dyed it and not redoing it for a while. She had a boy with her, tall, lanky, long brown hair and a button up that wasn't really buttoned up. His lips were Barbie pink, and it intrigued Louis.  
He looked back to the table.  
Lottie's friend and who he assumed to be the girl's boyfriend sat down, and Louis politely tried to tune into conversation.  
"-and the cab driver, the blunderhead, got lost, and it was just bad luck really," the lilac-haired girl finished. She much be explaining why she's late.  
"And Harry here had to stumble over every single curb and sidewalk crack," she said with a sly grin.  
The boy, Harry, groaned. "Only twice," he said, blushing a little. "Not my fault you got all the graceful genes."  
Gemma laughed. "That's not how it works!" she giggled, shoving on his shoulder. Brother and sister, then. Louis was slightly pleased, but he stifled it, because he couldn't have those thoughts. No one would ever love him but Garrick. Nobody could.  
Lottie laughed along with them, and when it died down, she introduced Louis to Gemma and Harry.  
"Hi," Louis said, extending his hand across the table for Harry to shake it, as they were across one another.  
Harry reached across the table with gusto, accidentally knocking a plastic cup with a small amount of water over onto the table. "Oops," he said, watching as it dribbled out. Louis smiled softly, dropping his napkin on the small puddle.  
"It's fine," he said, softspoken and gentle. He took Harry's fumbling yet still outstretched hand, shaking it before he withdrew his own.  
Harry watched his eyes - they were beautiful, he thought. He wished Louis would look into his eyes, but it seemed the other wouldn't grant him that pleasure.  
The girls chatted, and soon Gemma and Lottie and Harry had beers in front of them, and Louis still had a water. Garrick didn't like when he drank, though he himself did it often.  
"Lou, you should get a beer, loosen up a little," Lottie said, looking at him with a small smile. Louis immediately shook his head.  
"No, no thank you," he said softly. Lottie didn't let it go that easy.  
"Come on, it's just a day out with the girls. I doubt Garrick would mind if you had one drink." Louis kept shaking his head. "Why did you come out if you weren't going to have any fun with us?" she demanded, albeit softly, frowning. "You're not normally so.. so.. withdrawn."  
"I - I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head and standing. "I should get home. I shouldn't have stayed so late. He'll be wondering where I am. I must go, I can't be late, I - I - I'm sorry," he said. His eyes were too cast down to the floor to see the worried look on Harry's face, the confused one on Gemma's, and the mildly annoyed one on Lottie's.  
He left like that, rushing to get a cab and get home to keep Garrick calm and satiated.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Where the hell have you been?" Garrick demanded. "You said you'd be home by one. It's one fifteen. How am I supposed to keep track of the things you're doing if you lie to me, you fucking idiot?"  
Louis flinched, tearing up as he kept his eyes down.  
Garrick's voice softened. "I have a surprise for you. I was upset I had to wait longer than I expected."  
Louis nodded, looking up shyly at Garrick, blushing a little. "A surprise?"  
"It's on the bathroom sink. I want you to change into it for me."  
Louis nodded, scampering off to the bathroom. In it, he found a paper bag, and in that he found a pair of lacy underwear, dainty and soft and pink, as well as a mint green sweater. Louis blushed - Garrick was so sweet to him.  
He pulled the lacy underwear on, and tugged the sweater on over it now. He shyly padded into the living room, feeling in a soft, gentle little bubble. He knew Garrick had no care for the soft things he adored, so it warmed his heart that he went out of the way to get them for him.  
Garrick was seated on the couch, grinning as Louis entered and Garrick had a beer in his hands. He had his knees far apart, and Louis took his spot of submission, kneeling in between them with his head bowed.  
"Did you like them?" Garrick asked with a small smile, taking another sip.  
"Yes, thank you," Louis said softly.  
Garrick tilted Lou's chin up, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Get on my lap," he said. Louis did as he said, straddling his boyfriend and blushing lightly as Garrick wrapped his arms around Louis, grabbing a handful of his ass. He wasn't gentle, and he wasn't appreciating his body - he was blatantly groping it, obviously only worrying about himself getting off.  
Louis didn't mind. This was how it was. He was a fucktoy, and Garrick did what he wanted. Simple as that. And simple, sweet gestures, such as how he got him gifts like he did, those type things made him feel warm on the inside, and he loved it. Loved how happy it could make him feel.  
"Get these off," Garrick said, tugging on Louis's waistband. Being in the position he was in, Louis couldn't get the panties off, and him taking too long pissed off Garrick, making him tear them off, not even worrying as Louis frowned and his lip trembled. Lots of his gifts ended up broken by his boyfriend like this. It was okay. It was his own fault, anyhow.  
He stayed still and obedient as Garrick pushed his own pants down his thighs, until they pooled around his ankles and he kicked them off. "Get me my cigarettes," Garrick said, gesturing vaguely to the table next to the couch. "And prep yourself. I don't feel like dawdling today, so do it quickly."  
Louis handed him his cigarettes as well as his lighter, going to prepping himself as his boyfriend said, trying to be thorough so it wouldn't hurt.  
He knew it would regardless.  
Garrick lit a cigarette and took a heavy drag, exhaling it onto Louis' chest. The smoke burned his eyes and nose.  
He put the cigarette back in his mouth, holding it there as he pushed Louis down onto the couch, holding him in place firmly with one hand. Louis tended to drift a little from focus when these things happened - so he wouldn't clearly remember bad or painful things, he supposed.  
He felt the sharp pain of not enough prep and not enough care, though he didn't think on it, only physically reacted with tensing up and wincing, and it was ignored. As Garrick picked up the pace, the more and more desensitized he became; Garrick hated when he escaped to his own little mind. So he took the still-burning half of the cigarette and pressed it onto Louis' collarbone, burning a hole in the sweater and burning Louis' skin, making him arch his back and cry out in pain.  
Garrick laughed, giving him another burn on the solar plexus, using his free hand to hold Louis down in place and keep him from writhing away. Louis was crying out, trying to escape, but he was pinned down and there was nothing he could do but stay put and accept it.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry looked at Lottie after Louis left, his eyes wide.   
"Is he always like that?" he asked very seriously, leaning in with his eyebrows furrowed.  
Lottie sipped her beer, nodding a little. "Yeah," she said almost questioningly, frowning a little. "Since he moved out. "  
Harry nodded. "Is his boyfriend.. does he.. you know, does he hurt him?" Harry asked, worried and a little alarmed about Louis' wellbeing.   
Lottie shook her head. "I should say not. Garrick spoils him like you wouldn't believe." Harry's expression didn't change.   
"Are you completely sure?" he asked, getting out on his phone. "Do you have his number? House, cell, anything."  
Lottie looked at him skeptically. "Harry, you needn't make a big deal out of this. I know Louis, and he would tell me."  
"I wouldn't know, but I don't think he would," Gemma interjected. "Not out of anything personal, as it were, but victims don't often tell family about abuse. Out of shame, or denial, or thinking whoever it is doesn't mean it and will get better."  
Lottie still shook her head. "I don't think so." Either way, she slid her phone with Louis' contact open across the table. It had a cell phone number and a home phone number. "He doesn't answer his cell phone number anymore, not sure why. It's not disconnected, he just never answers."  
Another not good sign still. Harry sighed, saving his number into his own phone. He would use it later.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Louis, on his hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor, making sure it was absolutely, stupendously perfect, looked up in surprise as the phone rang.   
He tentatively stood, going to look at the caller ID. He didn't recognize it, which confused him. The only people that ever called were his family, though there was an occasional person looking for Darrick. He figured he'd better answer it.   
"Hello?" he said softly, one arm crossed over his chest as the other held the out-of-date phone to his ear.   
"Um, hi, is this Louis Tomlinson?" the voice asked, and it was a low drawl, and Louis swears he's heard it somewhere before.   
"I - uh - yes, who is this?" Louis asks, a little worried now. He never got callers, and especially not ones he didn't recognize.   
"This is Harry Styles. I'm a friend of your sister's, we had lunch together the other day," he said, and Louis' eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I got your number from your sister - I wanted, um, to know if you'd have a cup of coffee with me? Like, not as a thing like you might be thinking, because I know you have a boyfriend, but you had to leave early yesterday and I felt bad because I feel I didn't get to know you well enough. Y'know?"  
Louis smiled a tiny bit, listening to this poor boy ramble. The nerves were obvious in his voice.   
"I don't know - I'm quite busy, and it's hard for me to find time, and all," Louis said, making excuses and not really sure how to take this happening.   
"Any time is good for me. Really. I have a phone job, and the calls just get redirected to me, so I can do stuff whenever, so like, I'd really like to just spend some time to talk with you, because you seem like a genuinely lovely person and all."  
Louis sighed. He hated being pressured into stuff, because he was so pressure-able. He was awful about never being able to stand up for himself.   
"I - I mean - I guess I could spare just a - just a few minutes -" he mumbled, looking at the kitchen floor, with water all over it. He could mop that up in no time.   
"Lovely! Do you have a place you'd like to go, or would you rather me choose? I think you ought to because you can choose one closer to where you live, so it's not too far out of the way."  
Louis blushed. "I, um, okay. There's this one place, it's called The Coffee Tin, it's on Amistad, if you could be there at one, that'd be a good time," Louis said softly. Garrick got off of work at five, over on almost the other side of the city, and it was only eleven now. If that was all he took into consideration, it'd still be an easy time to make, but also Garrick tended to go out with the boys on Friday afternoons, getting plastered and not being home until late.  
Louis made himself believe it was because Harry insisted, not his own insistent lonliness.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Louis had mopped up the water on the floor and showered, making himself presentable. He put on a long sleeve shirt and jeans, nondescript and subtle.   
Now he was walking to The Coffee Tin, his head down and hands in the pocket of his hoodie. When he entered he saw the boy he recognized from the pub before. Long hair, unbutton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jeans and boots. He looked like someone who knew what his life was about, knew what he wanted. Louis figured he was about the opposite.   
Louis approached him, quiet in such a way that Harry didn't even notice he was there, too intrigued by staring into his mug that he didn't realize he had company until Louis had been awkwardly standing there for a few moments.   
"Hi," Louis said softly, getting Harry's attention. Harry looked up at him, immediately smiling. It had a nice effect on Louis - it was so long since someone smiled at him just because he made them smile.  
"Hi," Harry said. "You can sit down. I was just - following my train of thought a little deep, got lost in it."  
Louis pulled out the chair and sat, smiling at Harry's figurative language.   
"Brilliant," Louis said. "You should be a writer."  
Harry laughed a little. "No, I don't think I'd be much good. I actually got that from my mom - she says stuff like that all the time."  
Louis nodded a little and looked down.  
"What about you, Louis? What's your mom like?"  
Louis was all walls, though, so he kept it brief.   
"She's just a mom. I love her a lot, she's really silly."  
Harry nodded. "And your sisters?"  
"I love them too. There's four of them, and mum's pregnant again, so."  
Harry smiled politely. "And your boyfriend?"  
Louis kept a straight face. "Lovely." The way he said it didn't make it seem like his boyfriend was actually lovely, and so Harry decided to press the matter, however gently.  
"What's his name?" Harry conversationally asked, sipping his hot chocolate. The waitress brought one to Louis - Harry had ordered one for him, but asked it only be brought once Louis got here.  
Louis looked up, surprised, and thanked the waitress. He looked back to Harry, his eyes soft. "I - Thank you," he said softly, raising the thick glass of the mug to his lips, sipping and only getting a slight amount of chocolate under the thick layer of cream. He liked it very, very much.   
"Garrick," Louis said, as though the word hurt his lips. "His name is Garrick."   
Harry nodded. "I take it you like him very much?"  
Louis nodded, not instinctively or because he really did like him very much, but out of habit. Or maybe fear.   
"Hey, Lou?" he asked softly, a look of concern in his eyes. Louis looked back up, and Harry had never seen someone so tentative or scared to be. "How'd you get that cut on your cheek?"  
Louis looked back down. "My kitten."  
Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "I mean - I trust you, and I believe you, but that looks a little severe for a kitten. It's even bruised underneath."  
Louis didn't make eye contact. "Yeah," he said, but didn't say anything more about it. He didn't need to tell Harry anything, it was none of his business.   
Harry nodded, and that was that. "Well. If you get anymore cuts from your kitten," he said, in no way sounding like he was insinuating it was anything other than what Louis said it was, "You can come to me. I know basic first aid, and my roommate is in med school. Anything you need, okay?"  
Louis nodded.   
"And dislocations, and anything, as bad as it gets, you can come to me for. And I won't bring anyone else other than you and me, and Niall as needed for medical attention." Louis looked up at Harry. It was obvious he knew by what he said, but nothing by the way he talked. Louis liked it. Nothing accusing. Just a gentle offer for help.  
Louis nodded. Every other time someone had brought it up to him before, he had gotten angry, shut the person out. He had lost two good friends that way. Harry seemed to emenate calmness, though, and it filled him and kept him mellow.  
"How did you find out?" Louis asked softly. "How did you realize?"  
Harry sipped his hot chocolate. "I work for a domestic violence hotline. It's sort of my job to be able to help people, but I've never felt like I've been doing enough." He shrugged. "I try to do good as best I can. I really enjoy helping people, y'know? So when you seemed so.. so scared yesterday, like, of your boyfriend, and the cut on your face, I realized. And I think you deserve to have good done to you. You need help, and I know the best way to give you that help is to not force you to do anything. But, more like, give you the opprotunity."  
Louis nodded. Harry pulled out his wallet, retrieving a business card. He pulled a pen from his inside coat pocket, writing on the back - "Ext. 317" and a small smiley face and his full name. The front side was the domestic abuse helpline number, 0808 2000 247, as well as the address and logo for the local center.  
Louis smiled, a little sadly, and took the card. He put it in his back pocket, not having a wallet of his own. Garrick kept him dependent.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning: noncon and graphic depictions of violence.

They had chatted for a small amount of time after, and Louis apologized profusely when he had to go, but. Oh well. He couldn't be late, and he had to be home when Garrick got home. And he would be best off to have dinner ready, too.  
He shook Harry's hand before they parted ways, Louis towards his shared flat and Harry to hail a cab. The business card in Louis' back pocket kept his mind on edge, kept him constantly thinking about it. He was afraid to keep it, should Garrick find it, but was equally afraid to not have it. He supposed he could try to memorize it, but he wasn't sure how that would work.  
He pondered it as he walked home, without a jacket and only in his sweater though it was far colder than was necessary for sweaters. He shouldered against the sharp wind, walking briskly back to his apartment.  
He realized when he got there that he didn't have a key, and the door auto-locked when it was shut. Louis paled. Garrick couldn't find him outside of the aparment -- then he would know, and Louis' life was as good as over. He was hyperventilating a little, his hands making tight fists. He calmed himself; he could call the landlord. The landlord had a spare key.  
But he didn't have a phone. So that left one option. He had to ask to borrow a phone. He tentatively went over to their closest neighbor's door, knocking tentatively.  
When the door opened, Louis'eyes were downcast and he was blushing sharply. "Hey, I'm so sorry to bother you, but can I use your phone? I got locked out, need to call the landlord."  
The man nodded, offering him a soft smile. He was in boxer-briefs, a white tank top and a red robe with gold trim, that looked kind of old but comfortable. "Sure. Come in - you look cold, and this building doesn't have central heating."  
Louis smiled apologetically, and just wanted to get this done as quick as possible. "Thank you so much. My boyfriend's at work, and I got locked out, and - yeah." He didn't mention what he was doing when he got locked out, didn't want his neighbor thinking bad of him.  
"I'm Zayn, by the way," the boy said, handing Louis his phone.  
"I'm Louis, thank you so much," he said, phoning the landlord. He said he would be there in fifteen minutes, which stressed Louis out but he thanked him anyway.  
Louis awkwardly handed Zayn his phone back, and the man took it casually, giving Louis a small smile.  
"So, I haven't seen you before. I was actually convinced it was just the bigger bloke living there by himself, honestly. Do you not get out much?" he asked, and Louis smiled and shook his head.  
"Not really. I keep myself plenty busy in there, so there isn't much reason to venture out-of-doors." Louis shrugged a little, and Zayn offered him a seat while they would wait.  
"Well, keeping busy isn't the only thing you should be doing with your life," Zayn said. "Are you happy in there?"  
Louis didn't even think about it. He nodded. "Of course, Garrick is the best boyfriend. As long as I have him, I'll want for nothing," he said, but it was a lie, because he was greedy and he wanted planty of things. He wanted to hug his mother. He wanted to tease his sisters. He wanted to have gentle sex, that conveyed deep feelings.  
Zayn nodded, grabbing his box of cigarettes. "D'you mind if I smoke?" he said, digging in the couch for his lost lighter. Louis shook his head.  
"Not at all."  
Zayn puffed on the cigarette a little, and didn't speak again until it was about half gone.  
"Thought about trying to quit, y'know. Tried once. S'addicting, though." He sighed and tapped it against the ashtray he had balanced on his knee. "I mean, everyone has something. I don't think there's one person on this planet who isn't addicted to something."  
Louis nodded, looking down at his hands which were folded together as he thought on it. He supposed he was. He didn't know how he'd cope, now, if he didn't have Garrick there to keep him in check. He'd always thought lesser of himself, he didn't know what he would do if he didn't have his boyfriend to punish his follies.  
"And they're all eating away at us the same, I think," Louis said softly. "Don't know how any of us will make it out alive."  
Zayn laughed a little, taking another drag. "None of us do," he said, finishing the last inhale before he stubbed the embers out onto the ashtray.  
It's only a few more minutes of comfortable silence before there is a knock on the door.  
"Thank you so much again, Zayn, you have no idea how grateful I am."  
Zayn stands, smiles, and waves a hand dismissively. "Anytime. And I like you, Lou, we should hang out more. I'd be glad to spend more time with you."  
Louis blushed and nodded, shuffling towards the door. "You too," he says, and opens the door. Their landlord is there, and it isn't much longer before Louis is let into his flat, thanking the landlord multiple times before she leaves.  
Louis gets to cooking dinner right away.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Life goes on; Harry and Louis don't speek for nine days after they met up at The Coffee Tin. Louis hides the business card in the laundry room cabinet, under the extra box of laundry detergent they don't often use.  
It goes like this: Garrick hurts him. Then, Garrick blames Louis (which Louis always wholeheartedly believes) and has Louis take the blame. Then, Garrick gets Louis presents, or dotes on him in some other fashion, and each time it makes Louis believe that he's really changed, that they're really going to be okay. Then, Garrick hurts him.  
It's a cycle, really.  
In the nine days since, Louis and Garrick have gone through the cycle fourteen times. None of Louis' injuries were that particularly bad, bruises and some shallow cuts.  
"You're a disgusting pig, Louis," Garrick says as they eat at the dinner table. Louis immediately looks up, slowing down the chewing of the bit of bread he had in his mouth.  
He swallowed slowly. "I - I'm sorry, if there's - if there's anything I can do," he stuttered, cursing himself internally.  
"Yeah," Garrick said. "Stop eating so much all the fucking time. You're such a fatass, I want you to know."  
Louis' mouth went dry. "I - I'm sorry," he said. He had his hands folded in his lap. Garrick sighed.  
"Get under the table and suck my cock," he demanded, and Louis paused but a second before he immediately did as he was told. He unzipped his pants, tugging them down, and took Garrick into his mouth as best he could in the confined space.  
Louis did his best as Garrick finished his food.  
"Go kneel by the couch, useless slut," Garrick said cooly, and it made Louis tear up, but he went and did as Garrick said for him to. It wasn't long before Garrick went over to the couch and sat, leaving a mess on the table for Louis to clean later.  
"Get back to work, whore," Garrick said, and Louis complied. Almost instantly Garrick grabbed him by the hair, forcing him down as far as he could. He pressed into Louis' throat, but Louis didn't have enough gentle practice and Louis gagged, almost throwing up, but Garrick didn't pull off. He actually kept Louis pressed down so long that Louis had tears rolling down his cheeks and his vision was going black around the edges. Garrick said something to him, but he didn't comprehend it, which made him mad. He pulled him off, slapping him squarely in the cheek. It took Louis a few moments to come to his senses, and Garrick was livid.  
"Keep your teeth out of the way, you piece of shit. You're not even good at a simple fucking blowjob."  
Louis' stomach was uneasy, but Louis was carelessly forced onto Garrick's dick again, vicious and violent. It made his stomach flip again. Louis gagged again, and couldn't deal with the lack of air quite well, his face going red and he made one of the worst mistakes he had in a while.  
He tried to push on Garrick's knees to come up for air. Which, of course, pissed Garrick off beyond belief. He growled, pulling Louis up onto the couch, pushing him so he was laying. He wrapped his thick, strong hands around Louis' throat, putting a rough pressure on his windpipe and jugular, making his head feel thick and each heartbeat was a base drum being beat inside of his head.  
"Stupid - useless - slut -" Garrick growled, loosening his hands when Louis went lax. He wasn't unconscious, but he was close.  
"Don't you ever disrespect me again." He picked up his beer he had left there earlier, half drank, before taking a couple of swigs. He poured some into Louis' slightly opened mouth, causing him to choke and splutter. Garrick sneered, finishing off the rest, looking at the bottle for a moment before smashing it over Louis' head. He whimpered, flinching, feeling his head ache uncontrollably, a slicing pain on his temple. Garrick just laughed.  
While Louis was swimmy, Garrick pulled himself off, coming onto Louis' face and neck. He pulled up his pants and stood.  
"I'm going to the pub. Have this place cleaned up by the time I get home." Louis heard the door close. He could feel the blood dripping down his face, and could tell it was bad.  
He stumbled to the laundry room, his hand sliding over the wood over the cabinet a little, undoubtedly leaving a blood smear as he groped for the business card.  
He went back into the kitchen. He left a trail of small blood droplets as he walked, though it was more of a panicked shuffle.  
He picked up the phone, carefully dialing with trembling hands as he struggled to stay standing.  
"Hello?" he heard, and almost whimpered in relief.  
"Harry - I, please, I need help," he said, his head throbbing. "Please come get me."  
Harry was already grabbing his keys. "What's the address, Louis?"  
Louis gave it to him, only speaking a little slower than usual. He wasn't doing too bad.  
"I want you to stay on the phone with me, okay, love? I need you to do this for me. Stay with me babe, stay with me."  
Louis tried, but he was wobbling too much in the knees so he sunk to the floor, leaning under the overhang of the counter, onto the support. "I - okay. Please," he breathed softly. "I - please."  
Louis listened to what Harry said, not getting any meaning but hearing the slow drawl and the comfort.  
"M'kitten," Louis said. "Don't leave - Harpo, don't leave. I need him."  
"It's okay, love, I'll get your kitten, we'll bring him with us."  
Louis was barely conscious, clutching onto the phone for dear life as he was huddled under the kitchen counter, waiting for Harry.  
"Louis?" he hears, on the phone and in the complex.  
"Harry?" Louis answers, softspoken.  
"Louis? Louis, where are you? I'm almost here, babe, I just need to know where you are."  
Louis' eyes were closed as he kept curled in on himself. "Kitchen," he said, though it was so slurred it sounded like "Kithen," but Harry got the gist and was there in just a few seconds, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips in a hard line.  
"Okay, Louis, it's okay," Harry said, picking him up as gently as he could manage. He went into the living room, and Louis swore he was going to forget Harpo.  
He thrashed a little, startling Harry.  
"Laundry room. S'in's carrier." Harry nodded, setting Louis on the couch as he just about sprinted into the laundry room (only took him three tries to get the room right) and grabbed the whole kitten carrier, holding the small basket with the handle in one hand and using both to pick Louis up again.  
Harry carried Louis down and out to his car, and the feeling of mist aroused Louis a little, but soon he was laid down on a leather seat in a place that smelled of old car, and soon they were moving.  
The sound of the windshield wipers pushing the rain and the low purr of the car lulled Louis into unconsciousness, feeling finally at rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo. My mom broke and confiscated my laptop, so, I'm sorry the update times are so garbo!! My tumblr is pippin-and-Larry, so please feel free to hit me up and comment on my loveliness and cleverness in my ask. :)


End file.
